<div class="role-description">

<p>A nameless container <a>element</a> that has no semantic meaning on its own.</p>

<p>The <code>generic</code> role is intended for use as the implicit role of generic elements in host languages (such as HTML <code>div</code> or <code>span</code>), so is primarily for implementors of user agents. Authors SHOULD NOT use this role in content. Authors MAY use <rref>presentation</rref> or <rref>none</rref> to remove implicit accessibility semantics, or a semantic container role such as <rref>group</rref> to semantically group descendants in a named container.</p>

<p>Like an element with role <rref>presentation</rref>, an element with role <code>generic</code> can provide a limited number of accessible states and properties for its descendants, such as <pref>aria-live</pref> attributes. However, unlike elements with role <rref>presentation</rref>, <code>generic</code> elements are exposed in <a>accessibility APIs</a> so that assistive technologies can gather certain properties such as layout and bounds.</p>

<p>Like an element with role <rref>presentation</rref>, an element with role <code>generic</code> can provide a limited number of accessible states and properties for its descendants, such as <pref>aria-live</pref> attributes.</p>

<p>However, unlike elements with role <code>presentation</code>, user agents expose <code>generic</code> elements in <a>accessibility APIs</a> when permitted accessibility attributes have been specified. User agents MAY otherwise ignore <code>generic</code> elements if such permitted attributes have not been specified.</p>

</div>

<table class="role-features">

<caption>Characteristics:</caption>